Cross-Functional Leadership and Global Footprint Alignment
" Drive, align, and facilitate core team activities across Engineering, Quality, Operations, Finance, and Procurement to meet critical project milestones without direct hierarchical authority.
" Lead and actively participate in OEM Hardware/Software Product Development Team (PDT) meetings, ensuring alignment on component architecture changes and design synchronization.
" Establish rigorous communication channels with international manufacturing facilities and offshore engineering centers to synchronize volume forecasting, resource capacity, and global build execution.
" Synthesize day-to-day operational status through routine core team alignments, supplier status evaluations, and emergency troubleshooting sessions.
2. Prototype Lifecycle and Material Risk Mitigation
" Own the end-to-end coordination of prototype build events (PPV, APPV, PTB), validating exact build allocations and securing commitments from customer assembly plants.
" Drive material pipeline de-risking; coordinate closely with Production Control and Logistics (PC&L) and international supplier networks to guarantee component pipeline security during parallel, high-volume prototyping and validation phases.
" Oversee the generation and tracking of Internal Build Intake Forms (BIF) across domestic and international manufacturing sites, ensuring facilities are aligned to execute build schedules.
" Drive component and procurement readiness by overseeing the creation of Purchase Requests (PRs) for specialized component fabrication, including prototype PCB suppliers.
" Verify exact material requirements, allocation quantities, and Material Required Dates (MRD) directly with Tier 1 modules and customer seat and assembly plants.
3. Engineering Change and Validation Management
" Govern the Engineering Change Management (ECR / ECO) process, accurately assessing and negotiating financial, scheduling, and engineering impacts across all stakeholders.
" Proactively track and escalate delayed customer Engineering Change Requests (ECRs) with global technical centers (OEM North America and international engineering units) to secure timely software and drawing releases.
" Supervise Product Validation (PV) testing milestones, tracking raw material availability, test bench readiness, and supplier component lead times to prevent validation delays.
" Plan, track, and execute Non-Saleable (NS) PPAP timing events, ensuring compliance with customer-specific quality gates.
4. Program Governance and Customer Interface
" Act as the primary interface and escalation point for the OEM customer (GM) and key Tier 1 partners (Magna, Lear), securing the timely delivery of prototypes, validation components, and PPAP documentation.
" Utilize Client Project and enterprise PPM tools daily to map project timelines, monitor the critical path, allocate crossfunctional capacity, and generate executive-level health dashboards for the PMO.
" Track, report, and optimize program KPIs including On-Time Delivery (OTD), budget variances, tooling health, and quality metrics.
" Proactively mitigate program risks supply bottlenecks, plant capacity limitations, design changes ensuring transparent escalation and recovery plan alignment with the PMO Leader before critical customer milestones are jeopardized.
" Bachelor's degree in Engineering (Mechatronics, Electronics, Mechanical, Industrial) or Business Administration with a strong technical background.
" 7+ years of proven experience in Project or Program Management in a regulated manufacturing environment.
" 5+ years of direct experience in the automotive manufacturing industry.
" Demonstrated experience working directly with General Motors (GM), including deep knowledge of their launch metrics, portals, BIQS quality system, GP-12 containment, and customer-specific validation requirements.
" Experience managing programs or collaborating closely with Tier 1 suppliers such as Magna and Lear.
" Comprehensive understanding of automotive product launch frameworks: APQP, PPAP, FMEA (D-FMEA / P-FMEA), Control Plans, and V-Model / ASPICE lifecycles.
" Experience managing complex electrical architecture transitions platform migrations, component-level hardware and software shifts, and Tier-N supplier modifications.
" Proficiency with Client Project and enterprise lifecycle management and PPM tools for scheduling, critical path analysis, and resource management.
" Strong financial acumen with experience managing program budgets, tooling costs, and tracking project P&L.